Improve Your Spelling

Based on the correspondence I frequently receive that contains grievous and frequent misspellings, I can only conclude that some people choose to ignore the "spellcheck" function in their software. A former associate and I used to share the "worst cases" among badly spelled emails sent to our company. We did not have to work hard to find errors. Proper spelling is a difficult skill for many people.

Bad spelling in e-mail is one thing. Everyone has to hurry to keep up with the pace of communications these days. Sending an email without checking the spelling may be forgivable once in a while. But when people repeatedly send you business correspondence with misspellings it can lead to a bad impression. Essentially it implies you are either too lazy, careless or stupid to get your spelling right.

A word of consolation, however. Poor spelling is not necessarily a sign of low intelligence. The ability to spell words well may have more to less to do with your overall intelligence than it does with your learning style. The theory of multiple intelligences suggests there are different "ways" to be smart and learn. These include linguistic intelligence, logical-mathematical intelligence, spatial intelligence, bodily-kinesthetic intelligence, musical intelligence, interpersonal intelligence, intrapersonal intelligence and naturalist intelligence. Obviously if your learning style does not overlap with "bookish" subjects such as spelling, you are going to face greater challenges than others in managing your spelling obligations. But all is not lost.

For now let's accept there are people who are inherently bad at spelling. But that doesn't explain away the problem for everyone. Some get that way by habit. They were either never taught to spell well or they never tried to learn. But to claim "I'm bad at spelling" as an excuse for sloppy communications is really no longer a legitimate excuse. At a typical computer workstation there are so many resources available to help you with spelling there can be no reason why any word should be spelled wrong.

Here are a couple simple, accessible ways to improve your communications... if not your actual ability to spell!

Spellcheck in Word Processing

If you happen to be poor at spelling, word processing programs such as Microsoft Word always have options to help you. Most word processing programs have "presets" or indicator functions to check spelling as you go. That can be very helpful. It still pays to execute a spelling check when you complete the document. Often this feature works with a grammar check as well. Both functions are critical to good correspondence.

Online resources

There are a number of online resources such as dictionary.com and thesaurus.com to help you select and spell a word properly. One of the worst flaws in communication is to both misspell and misuse a word. The most common mistakes are smaller words like "you're" and "your" that spell check may not catch, but grammar check may. To write a sentence like, "Call me when you're in the neighborhood" shows poor attention to the written language. Did you misspell that word in the sentence, or do you just not know?

Even high-grade graphics programs like InDesign or Quark XPress have built-in spelling functions to help you avoid or correct errors. This can be critical if your work depends on accuracy or is being published.

Are there ways to improve your spelling if have been bad at it your entire life? Like anything, to get good at spelling requires attention and practice. It often helps to write out words you frequently spell wrong. Write out both the correct and incorrect spelling to show yourself visually the difference between right and wrong. Then cross out the wrong spelling and re-write the word correctly again. This process can help your brain memorize and process the correct spelling by giving you a mental clue the next time you need to write the word.

It is a bit disappointing to consider that some people seem to get through elementary school, high school and college with such bad spelling skills. If your child is struggling to learn to spell and you know you have been a bad speller your entire life, encourage them in positive ways to take an interest in spelling. Working with them to improve may even help your own ability to spell.

Of course it can also be fun to spell things badly on purpose. On of my fvrite gmes is to spll wrds and wrte sntnces takng lttrs ot to see if peple cn stll rd thm. In a txt basd world, we're gtting betr and betr at reding wrds ths wy. Wll gd splling smday bcome obsolet? I'm sre sm people mit lke it "tht wy!"

With the resources available in today's digitally driven word processing age, it is possible to appear to be a good speller even if you are not. The effort it takes to "look good on paper" is worth a lot in terms of the impression it makes on those with whom you want and need to communicate. In a competitive world and a tight job market, it is more important than ever to make a good impression. Good spelling is a great place to start.